Gas-engine.



iE. F. PRALL.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1910.

Patented Aug. 26, 1918.

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E. F. PRALL.

GAS ENGINE.

ArPLIoATIoN HLBD 11111.23. 1910.

HPatented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Y 'Illi-tains'to make and use the same.

' ,-PATEET oFiElGE y *I l following to be' afull,"`ciear, 'and'V exact ldc"- wente'd 'certainnewad use'fl improvements in GasfEngines; and I idohereh'y declare the scriptiolzr'ol the invention, such as will enable othersD skilled inthe art to vwhich it per-A This-'"rrver`1tion relates tof gas* engines of l theype'jhaving" a' main' enter-casing, a stationary drum; and. a plurality of pistons movable 'nr the annular chamber bev 'llftween lthe ycasing and drum, androta-ry abut-'-v ent valves inx sexnhcrcular extensions oi Tambien of eng-invention is win-1pm@ thecons'tructi'onof such engines,and to ins0fcrease-their eiciencyfandmore particularly TheI by,"v providing. simple land. improved cooling hrventonconssts in ctms-truction .hereinafterdesclfilxavA and` particularly Inf swarming-g v ieninnsersees thenlffxieslmnsvem seetion of the engine, .the

sect'onfbeing" talicn 'with the abutment l`va'len/sdvanced) from the position shown Y Fig? 2* toav posrtlon in whleh the heads i u! elevation of the same; Fg. 4 is a side ele'- vation, with a part removed, showing a moedconstruction'.r

Numel'als 1, 2", denot'e'the 'main end .1 tions of the casing of the engine, `which are eiehe'r innegralry with the mein @rinder or separatelv and thereto., ,Said ends 'comprise at di'an'xertrie'a ll'y'A opposite sides semi-circular e'xtensions', which form theA chambers' fdr rotary abutment supported-'a strong, hollow, stationary 'sleeve 5, @meneame man shea e rammel. bearings being; previ-dee for. the Share with in caps, 7, :fixed to the casing ends.

AVV-gear wheel 8 is secured on the main shaf, and: Wheels 9,- 1Q, of the same size aS Wleel 8, Y'to' the shafts of lthe ro- 1hr-nimma valves n', n, whereby the, ne

n hausnummerngenau', 'wielrenners "l Ater suitably passage d tpistolas@ l P The en"A l wlth; circular-langes 1.8, I4, .surrounding the .imnshafh the space between them-being leasing; Thecasing' 'is also formed A with extend" theentire distance between rings 15.

)Curved outer plates; I7 are 'bolted tothe langes 16, andform a closed chamber or ssagelS, ydesigned for reception of a coolghquld or fluid, as water, oil or air: The

coolmg' ehamler ils contimrouson the sie l and overthe ends of the engine body,

though' this? is preferred'. Supported ina fixed tion on the sleeve 'l5 sa central drumlSg vconcentricwith the linain and with'thexpston chamber 20,. 1 between the' drum and the easing. The ends be omitted," in which ,ease an outlet for the idool-hre', fluid would connect with chamber likewise perforated at 26* so that the cool-- The main shaft-is groove@l reduced, or othe'l'vvise formed within a part ofthe length of 'v the sleeve 5 to forma'passage 27 for the Y oooh-ng' n'nedium'said passage being," connectl and st the other end to the space surround' gi'ng'th'e ymain ca-'sing by holes 28. 0n the e casngisformea each 'lend stfigm longitudimrside flanges 1'6- whch l esl'- 4'l0 I l it is not essential that the Outer walls 17 he plates separate from the main body cast- Eofthe-dru-m are eirculanand-are' either cast l with the body of the drmngas' shown at21, or maden-s separate rings and attached to, lhelfruniyas sh'ofwn :$22.Y 'Evidently both lends of the drum may formed alike' if desired.' @ne advantage .of havin-g the end Ering (or rings) detachable is that, when an Thel 95 llfargrooves 25 at its ends, withfconnectng Fholes 26; In' some cases the holes 26 may i524., The ends of the piston ystructure are 1 inguid maypass tothe outer sides thereof.

, at one 'end' to the -hollow 24 of the drum,

shaft "outside both ends of passage 27 are n and has only one friction bearing.

' chamber.

packings 29 to prevent leaking along the shaft. rl`he inlet and outlet openings for the cooling. medium may be at any suitable places. In Fig. 1, 2t x indicates such inlet, and 29y an outlet, the cooling medium thus fiowing entirely through the engine. In practice a second outlet connnunicating with the opposite end space would be advisable but it is not shown. The connection of the outer and inner cooling spaces causes the most perfect utilization of the cooling medium, and requires but a single source of circulation and a single passage between the source and the cooling chambers.

The piston structure comprises two cir-V cular ends 30, 31, the former rotatably mounted on the fixed sleeve 5, and the lat` ter rigidly secured to the main shaft, as by lugs 32 on the sha-ft and bolts, whereby the piston structure is supported at both ends Connecting the ends at diametrical points are two pistons 33, 34, with inner and outer spring packings 34", see Fig. 2. The ends of the piston struct-ure have outer and inner flanges 35, 3G, the latter overlapping the end rings of the drum 1S), and between the abutting faces is a packing 37, preferably spring ring packing, and is in the periphery of the drum rather than in its end. The ends of the piston structure have like peripheral packings 3S. Each abutment valve comprises two curved sides or headsv 39, separated by concavities 40, each occupying approximately a quadrantI of the abutment The abutment valves in rotating enter the concavities 23 in the drum, and thel concavities 40 allow the pistons to pass. ln practice the heads and ends of the abutment valves are preferably ln'ovided with packings, as shown in my application 553,565. filed April 5, 1910.

ln Fig. 2, 4l denotes the inletto the piston chamber for the gas or explosive mixture, and 42 the exhaust. separated b v the pistons. )ver the upper abutment chamber is a concentric cap forming a compression chamber 423, communicating at one side with the abutment chamber. near the piston chamber, b v a passage 44 which is opened and closed by the abutment 'alve as the latter rotates. At the opposite side there is a similar passage but which has a controlling valve 45 moved in any suitable manner, such.as by equal cam wheels 50, 51, on the abutment valve shaft` and on the stem of valve 45. For causing explosions at proper times-an igniting device of any suitable construction is denoted by 46. Fig. 3, and the explosion chamber by 47, Fig. 2.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the engine casing. and the outer wall of the coolingr chamber. including the end rings, are made in halves (the upper halves being removed in said figure). The parts are secured together by suitable means, such as lugs or ilanges 48 andl bolts. This gives easy access to the piston structure.

Operation: As the lower piston moves up it compresses the explosive mixture ahead .of it into chamber 43, the upper abutment valve opening the passage, and another charge `1s drawn in behind said piston. Simultaneously valve 45 is opened admitting compressed explosive mixture into chamber 47, behind the upper piston, when valve 45 becomes closed, and the explosion occurs, driving said piston down, and so on repeatedly. The heat developed is reduced and dissipated by the cooling medium which entering at 29l flows through the large space surrounding the sides and ends of the engine cylinder, through passages 28 to passage 27 around the main shaft, thence to the hollow 24 ofthe central drum, to the end grooves 25, thence tothe outer sides of the ends of the piston structure, and thence out by passage 25H. lVhen the cooling medium is a liquid, as water or oil, it serves also to improve the closure of the piston chamber, since if gas Having described the invention what I i claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. A gas engine comprising a main casing having a gas inlet and an exhaust, and opposite rotary abutment valve extensions, a double headed abutment valve in each extension, said inlet and exhaust being adjacent one valve extension, a compression chamber adjacent the other valve extension, and means suitably controlled ladmitting gas to'said chamber and for taking gas therefrom to the explosion chamber, said explosion chamber, a stationary drum within and concentric with the casing body, a main shaft, a piston structure thereon comprising circular ends connected by opposite pistons adapted to travel in the space between the casing and drum, and to pass said abutment valves. and said explosion chamy ber being behind one of the pistons, outer walls forming a chamber for a cooling medium around the main casing body, the stationary drum having a hollow portion, and there heilig a passage for the cooling medium from t-he outer chamber to the hollow of the stationary drum whereby a supfply of cooling fluid from a single source is urnished both the outer and inner cooling chamber.

2. A gas engine comprising a main casing havinga gas inlet and an exhaust, and opposite rotary abutment valve extensions, a. double headed abutment valve in each ex- Y a piston structure thereon comprising cir- Icular ends connected ,by opposite pistons adapted to travel in the space between the casing and drum, and to pass said abutment `valves a compression chamber over one of said abutment valve extensions, means for controlling entrance to and exit from the compressionv chamber, an explosion chamb'er behind one of the pistons, means for exploding gas ydrawn from the compression chamber to the explosion chamber on the opposite side from the inlet of the abutment valve, and outer walls forming a chamber for a cooling medium around the main casing body, the stationary drum having ahollow portlon, and there being a'passage for the cooling medium from the outer chamber to the hollow drum.

3. An engine com rising a main body casing, an inner fixe drum, a fixed sleeve supported b the casing and passing through the rum, a shaft passing through said sleeve, a piston structure having c1rcularv ends connected by opposite plstons lmovable in the space'between the casing'and the drum, outer walls forming an outer cooling chamber around the mam casing, said drum having a hollow portion, and there being a passage within said sleeve for the coolin medium from the outer chamber to theiollow of the drum. p

4. A gas engine comprising a casing having end flanges and side anges; rings closing the spaces betw'een the end anges, and pla-tes connectin the said flanges whereby an extended coo ing chamber is formed, a fixed inner drumhaving a hollow portion, there being a passage between said extended chamber and the hollow of the drum whereby a supply of coolin fluid from a single source is furnished goth the outer and inner cooling chamber, opposite pistons movable between the casing and drum, there being a gas inlet and an exhaust adjacent a compression chamber, means for controlling gas inlet to and outlet from said chamber, and a cooling medium inlet` and outlet. y

5. A gas engine comprising a casing, a wall forming, an outer cooling chamber, an

inner drum having a vhollow portion and also end grooves. said outer chamber, hollow portion and grooves bein connected, a piston structure having circu ar ends 'connected by opposite pistons, said ends having holes communicating with said grooves whereby the coolin 4medium can pass to the outer sides of sai ends, there being suitable inlet and outlet openings for the cooling medium.

6. A gas engine comprising a casing, a central sleeve within sald casing and supported thereby, a shaft in the sleeve, a hollow drum ixed on the sleeve, the drum having also end grooves, there being a passage.

ing abutment valve extensions, abutment valves therein, a central drum, an outer wall formin a compression chamber over one of the a utment extensions, said chamber being connected to the space between the casing and drum through the abutment valve chamber on 4the inlet side, such oo nnection being controlled solely by the abutment valve, said. chamber being connected to the space between the casing and drum on the explosion side of the abutment valve, the latter connection being controlled by the abutment valve and by a separate suitably timed valve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 

